Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez appears to have shifted his focus from Socialist heroes Karl Marx and Fidel Castro to Jesus Christ.

Chavez says his battle with cancer has made him "more Christian" and he has openly prayed for God’s help during the rare public appearances he has made.

As he left for his final bout of cancer treatment in Cuba, he said: "I'm sure our Christ will do it again, continuing making the miracle."

He is also reported as saying: "I have great faith in what we're doing, in this intense undertaking against the illness that ambushed me last year, and I have faith, I repeat, in God."

However, some political analysts have been sceptical of this newfound religious fervour, claiming he is appealing to the sympathies of the country’s Catholics, who could prove influential in upcoming elections if he can win them over.